Toxic Holocaust

Take Over and Destroy – Fade Out [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 24, 2022 in Things You Might Have Missed 2021, Sludge Metal, 14 comments

“Like many of you, my allegiances are with my local scene. With Covid taking over bars and venues, it’s been challenging to keep up with the ever-changing scene as new basement bands emerge, and veterans call it quits. Thankfully, my fellow Phoenicians, Take Over and Destroy, didn’t let the pandemic get them down—quite the opposite, really. Earlier this year, they were a band that’s been quiet for almost five years. Later in the year, they surprised the entire metal community by materializing a new record out of the fucking ether. With a kickass, old-school vinyl cover and a straightforward attitude to doom and sludge, Fade Out is the Covid album we all wanted. Drop the needle, and let’s get mad.” Healthy destruction.

Bonehunter – Dark Blood Reincarnation System Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on August 18, 2021 in Reviews, 57 comments

“Bonehunter and I have a deep, penetrable relationship that’s difficult to describe. They put out albums, and I review them. OK, so that wasn’t complicated. But, the last time I checked, I’ve reviewed more of their albums than I have any other band since starting at AMG. This year’s Dark Blood Reincarnation System makes four albums and four Grier reviews for these crusty Finns. If you don’t know Bonehunter, it’s time you were educated. Bonehunter is best known for two things: bear erections and punky, black-thrash.” Bones to the wall.

Amnessia Eterna – Malditos Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on July 31, 2021 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 39 comments

“Since Steel‘s clammy, hairy hand forced me to write for this illustrious establishment, I’ve noticed a trend. The trend is the inconsistency of thrash releases. It’s like the entire genre gets together as one unit of foul-mouthed dinosaurs, balding dads, and pizza-hungry horror enthusiasts to decide when to release albums. They sit around chugging Mylanta, Steel Reserve, and Truly, talking their trade and comparing solos. After evaluating the recorded material at this annual meeting, they’ll make a decision. The decision this year? No releases. Who made the decision? No one really knows. At this point, everyone’s puking from overdoing it on alcohol and stomach acid. At next year’s meeting, the verdict will flip. Or, so everyone hopes.” Thrash rebels.

Stress Angel – Bursting Church Review

By Steel Druhm on June 30, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 24 comments

“Brooklyn is many things, with a strange hodge-podge of peoples and cultures, but it isn’t what one normally thinks of as a hotbed of throwback mega-retro death metal. The duo behind Stress Angel are out to change that with their gritty, scuzzy debut platter, Bursting Church. Featuring a member of Natur and a mysterious co-conspirator, Stress Angel deliver a heaving, hacking old school death sound that’s like vintage Autopsy slammed into Toxic Holocaust with crustcore stuffed in all the gaps like maggot-ridden grout.” Burst a move.

Sodom – Genesis XIX Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on November 25, 2020 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 38 comments

“Genesis XIX will be the first time in thirty years Blackfire has recorded a full-length with Sodom. It’ll also be the first time in the band’s storied career to have two guitarists. What will these changes do to the Sodom sound? Obviously, Angelripper sees life coming back to the band. But are four just one too many? And how many more war-themed thrash riffs does Ole Tom have left in him?” Re-Sodomized.

Devastator – Baptised in Blasphemy Review

By Mark Z. on July 12, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, 19 comments

“Earlier this year Midnight showed us a Rebirth by Blasphemy, now Devastator keep the party going by showing us what it means to be Baptised in Blasphemy. Spoiler alert: there’s a lot of goats, Satan, and fukkin headbangin’ involved.” Goat show.

Toxic Holocaust – Primal Future: 2019 Review

By Steel Druhm on October 4, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, eOne Music, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 35 comments

“Thrash has evolved into many things over its nearly 40 year existence, from primitive, crude beginnings to insanely fast, shockingly technical and surprisingly melodic forms. There’s something to be said for all these various shades, but for old timers like me, thrash is always best served raw, and rowdy with a side of cheap beer and a spiked leather fist upside the head. That’s where Toxic Holocaust lives, down in the slime with early acts like Sodom and the long forgotten NME.” Blast to the future.

Come Back from the Dead – The Rise of the Blind Ones Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on October 1, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Transcending Obscurity, 11 comments

“Every Entombed clone thought of themselves as carrying on a lineage, writing riffs in the vein of their favorite albums—not being derivative or boring as we may find some of them. This disconnect is fascinating—an album we may hear and not give a second thought to afterward likely consumed weeks, months, years of every member of the band’s life. When this comes to mind, my chief question about middling releases is ‘why?'” Dead again.

Alcoholocaust – Necro Apocalipse Bestial Review

By Mark Z. on September 3, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Helldprod Records, Portuguese Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, 22 comments

“It’s Monday. 8:24 A.M. I pull my Toyota into the Magazine Street parking garage, fifth floor, the only spot in the shade that still has cell phone reception. Aura Noir’s Out to Die is blasting on the stereo. I pay the parking fee on my mobile app and sigh as I prepare myself for another day at the office. And then, I stop. What if I don’t go in? I think to myself. What if I just turn the car back on and drive away? What if I forget my job and spend the rest of the summer guzzling booze, getting hairy, and banging my fukkin head for the Master in Hell? It seems radical, but a group of people have actually done it.” Down with adulthood!

Sadistic Ritual – Visionaire of Death Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on June 14, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Unspeakable Axe Records, Thrash Metal, 17 comments

“Goddamn, I’ve reviewed a lot of black metal this year. Not that I’m upset about it. But, since joining this illustrious website of snobbery and pretentiousness five years ago, my yearly average is higher than it’s ever been. Is it due to Grier selling out and over-rating the under-rated albums of 2019? Oh, hell no, you over-commenting sonsofbitches. It’s because I’m blessed to review bands like Istapp, Darkthrone, and Vous Autres. Over-rater, I am not. Over-editor? Well, yeah, look at what I have to work with here! But, in hopes of lowering my average for the year and giving my black, swollen head a rest, I closed my eyes and reached into the scorpion-infested grog box that is the AMG Promo Bin. And out I pulled Atlanta’s only Kreator-inspired thrash metal band, Sadistic Ritual.” Thrashlanta.